or


[02/13/15 - 06:47 AM]
LAFF Licenses Rights to the Popular Sitcoms "The Drew Carey Show," "Night Court," "Ellen," "Empty Nest" and "Grace Under Fire" In Initial Programming Agreements
"These are iconic series featuring some of the funniest comedic talents and memorable characters of our time," commented Jonathan Katz, President and CEO of Katz Broadcasting.

[via press release from LAFF]

LAFF -- The Nation's First Comedy-Driven Broadcast Television Network -- Licenses Rights to the Popular Sitcoms "The Drew Carey Show," "Night Court," "Ellen," "Empty Nest" and "Grace Under Fire" In Initial Programming Agreements

ATLANTA (February 13, 2015) - LAFF, the country's first-ever, over-the-air broadcast television network devoted to comedy around-the-clock set to launch on April 15, 2015, made the first in what-will-be a series of programming acquisition announcements today, landing the broadcast television rights to more than 800 episodes of some of the most popular sitcoms in contemporary television.

In the three individual, multi-year licensing agreements, LAFF licenses:

· All nine seasons of both The Drew Carey Show (233 episodes) and Night Court (193 episodes) from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.

· Two series from The Disney/ABC Television Group: Ellen DeGeneres' first sitcom Ellen (109 episodes) and all seven seasons of Empty Nest (170 episodes).

· Grace Under Fire (112 episodes) starring Brett Butler from Carsey-Werner Productions.

"These are iconic series featuring some of the funniest comedic talents and memorable characters of our time," commented Jonathan Katz, President and CEO of Katz Broadcasting. "We're assembling an all-star comedy line-up and will be announcing more acquisitions shortly."

LAFF will feature a mix of contemporary off-network sitcoms and popular theatrical motion pictures, with a target audience of adults 18-49. The LAFF brand will cross multiple platforms, with the linear network carried on the signals of local broadcast television stations and corresponding cable carriage while a selection of companion digital content will be available at LAFF.com and via the LAFF app.

The newly-announced LAFF already has two major distribution agreements in place. The ABC Owned Television Stations will carry LAFF in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh and Fresno. The E.W. Scripps Company will also launch LAFF on its stations in Detroit, Phoenix, Tampa, Denver, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Baltimore, San Diego, Kansas City, Cincinnati, West Palm Beach, Buffalo and Tulsa.

These initial agreements will make LAFF available to more than 35% of the country, with more distribution additions expected to be announced shortly.

LAFF is owned and operated by Katz Broadcasting, established in 2014 by Bounce TV founder/COO and former Turner Broadcasting executive Jonathan Katz. LAFF joins GRIT, the first broadcast network targeting men, and ESCAPE, the first over-the-air network designed for women, in the Katz Broadcasting portfolio. Katz is President and CEO of the company while also still serving as COO of Bounce TV, the nation's first and only over-the-air television network for African Americans.





  [february 2015]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· DREW CAREY SHOW, THE (ABC)





[08/25/26 - 09:04 AM]
ESPN Expands Sports Content on Disney+ with College Football Saturdays This Fall
Each week throughout the season, Disney+ subscribers in the U.S. can stream two ESPN/ABC college football games in addition to the Emmy Award-winning "College GameDay Built by the Home Depot" pregame show, which debuted on Disney+ last season.

[08/25/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Paramount+ Shares Trailer for "The Varnell Hill Show," Premiering September 1
"The Varnell Hill Show" reunites Martin Lawrence and Bentley Kyle Evans nearly three decades after Tommy Davidson's Varnell made his unforgettable debut on the iconic sitcom.

[08/25/26 - 09:01 AM]
Season Four of the Emmy Nominated HBO Original Drama Series "The Gilded Age" Debuts November 1
Bertha Russell changed Society at a cost. Now, her family must reckon with the consequences as Agnes van Rhijn seizes an opportunity to regain her position.

[08/25/26 - 08:39 AM]
AMC Global Media Announces New Shocking Docu-Series, "Archive X: Unexplained Phenomena"
The six-part series is set to premiere on Thursday, October 1 at 10pm ET/PT on SundanceTV, AMC+ and All Reality, with new episodes premiering weekly on all platforms.

[08/25/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "The Gold" Season 2 - Teaser
With stakes like this, difficult choices must be made...

[08/25/26 - 08:01 AM]
Hannah Berner to Host New Paramount+ Reality Dating Series "Making Love"
"Making Love" is a bold new relationship experiment which gives singles a completely original and unique opportunity to take destiny into their own hands.

[08/25/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: "Stranger Things: Tales from '85" - Season 2 Official Trailer - Netflix
With Valentine's Day on the way, the gang must uncover the truth behind ghostly apparitions and a swarm of strange creatures causing chaos around town.

[08/25/26 - 08:01 AM]
First Look: Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building" Season Six (Premieres December 8)
For the first time ever, the beloved crime-solving trio are leaving New York City.

[08/25/26 - 08:01 AM]
HGTV Greenlights "Let's Go Back to Your Place," A New Series Hosted by Tyler Cameron
In each episode, Tyler will guide one hopeful romantic on three house tours looking for design clues that reveal more about the people that live there.

[08/25/26 - 07:31 AM]
Netflix Announces Kevin Hart's "Cold as Balls" Will Premiere Globally on September 20
The new installment of episodes were shot live at Fanatics Fest in New York in August.

[08/25/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Sweetpea" - Season 2 Official Teaser - Starz
Season 2 is coming to Starz early 2027 and Sky in November in the UK.

[08/25/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Apple TV Debuts Trailer for New Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson-Led Comedy Series "Brothers"
The eight-episode comedy will premiere on Apple TV with the first two episodes on Wednesday, September 23, followed by one new episode every Wednesday through November 4, 2026.

[08/25/26 - 06:20 AM]
Disney+, ESPN and Red Bull Present "Max vs 100," Live on September 16
The live event will see four-time Formula 1 World Champion and Red Bull athlete Max Verstappen attempt to overtake 100 drivers.

[08/25/26 - 05:13 AM]
Spencer Matthews Pushes Himself to the Limit and Reunites with Disney+ for Feature-Length Documentary "Breaking Spencer Matthews (w/t)"
The film follows Matthews as he embarks on a seemingly impossible expedition: completing seven full distance triathlons across seven continents in just three weeks.

[08/25/26 - 04:15 AM]
Video: "Gandhari" - Official Trailer - Netflix
When a mother loses her eyesight and her daughter in a kidnapping, she takes matters into her own hands to hunt down those responsible.